Anchor stake



Patented Dec. 9, 1958 ice ANCHOR STAKE Clyde E. Clapper, Blue Springs,M0.

Application November 5, 1956, Serial No. 620,442

11 Claims. (Cl. 189-92) This invention relates to anchor stakes andrefers more particularly to improvements in anchor stakes havingnormally retracted ground engaging means which are extendable laterallyfrom the stake after it is inserted in the earth.

An object of the invention is to provide an anchor stake havingretractable ground engaging means wherein the level of extrusion of theground engaging means from the stake is nearer the bottom of the stakethan the level in previous anchor stakes of this type. v

Another object of the invention is to provide such an anchor stakewherein the operating means for extending and retracting the groundengaging means from the stake is of extreme simplicity, relatively cheapto manufacture, has a minimum number of operating parts, is very strongand has an extremely long operating life despite high frequency of andrough use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an anchor stake whereinthe interconnection between the ground engaging means and the means forextending and retracting the ground engaging means is both structurallyextremely simple and very strong whereby to permit the extension of theengaging means against strong earth resistance and retraction of theengaging means against strong earth drag without danger to theinterconnection between the ground engaging means and the extending andretracting means.

Another object of the invention is to provide an anchor stake whereinthe ground engaging means is readily detachable from, as well asattachable to the means for retracting and extending the ground engagingmeans from the anchor stake proper whereby to permit swift and easyreplacement of the ground engaging means or access to the extending andretracting means as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple yet novel means forlimiting the vertical movement of the extending and retracting meanswhereby to prevent overextension or overretracting of the groundengaging means relative the anchor stake.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an anchor stakewherein the ground engaging means and the means to retract and extendthe ground engaging means from the anchor stake proper are readilyinserted and removed as a unit from the anchor stake housing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an anchor stake havingretractable ground engaging means with means for extending andretracting the ground engaging means which permit extension thereof todistance relative the casing not heretofore achieved as well as completeretraction thereof within the casing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an anchor stake havingcombined means for securing lines to the stake and grasping means foractuating the extending and retracting means,-the said means fixed tothe stake so as to substantially increase the rigidity of partsthereofrelative stresses out of line'with the stake longitudinal axis.

Another object of the invention is to provide an anchor stake forairplanes and the like having retractable ground engaging means, thestake inserted manually in holes drilled by an auger without driving, akit comprising the auger and several of the inventive stakes havingsubstantially less weight than a conventional kit including severalhammer driven stakes and the hammer.

Another object of the invention is to provide an anchor stake havingretractable ground engaging means wherein the ground engaging means areextended and retractedby rotation of a shaft, the extending andretracting means coupled with the shaft operative to drive the groundengaging means in or out of the stake at twice the speed of ordinarysuch means with no greater required application of power.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the course ofthe following description thereof.

In the drawings, which form a part of the instant specification and areto be read in conjunction therewith, an embodiment of the invention isshown and, in the various views, like numerals are employed to indicatelike parts.

Fig. l is a cross-sectional view through a ground formation extendingdownwardly from the ground surface showing the inventive anchor stakepositioned within the ground formation withthe ground engaging meansfully extended to a lateral position from the anchor stake housingwhereby to rigidly and firmly grip the anchor stake into the earth.

Pig. 2 is a side view with parts in section and parts cut away toillustrate the relationship of the means for extruding and retractingthe ground engaging means to the anchorstake housing, the view showingthe ground engaging means retracted within the anchor stake housing.

Fig. 3 is a side-sectional view through the anchor stake of Figs. 1 and2, the view taken displaced from the view of Fig. 2 and showing therelationship of the ground engaging means, the extending and retractingmeans and the end fitting when the ground engaging means are extendedfrom the housing.

. Fig. 4 is a view taken along the lines 4 of Fig. 2 in the direction ofthe arrows. v v

Fig. 5 is a view taken along the lines 5-5 of Fig. 3 in the direction ofthe arrows.

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the anchor stake assemblyshowing the ground engaging means .positioned opposite the engaging armsof the extrudingand retracting means with the anchor stake housingpositioned above the operating mechanism in preparation for beinginserted thereover.

Referring to the drawings and, initially, particularly to Fig. 3, baseplate It) has a threaded central opening 11 therein, an uppercircumferential recessed edge por tion 12 and a lower circumferentialrecessed edge portion 13. The top surface of the base plate 10 isbeveled as shown at 10a to permit smooth access of the earth engagingmeans, to be described, through the slots 15b. The lower recessed edgeportion 13 receives the open upper engaging edge of hollow, rounded endfitting 14.

The fitting 14 may be fixedly attached to the lower recessed portion 13of plate ltl'by any conventional means such as screws, punch pressing,etc. The upper recessed portion 12 is engageable by portions 15a of thelower edge of housing '15 of the anchor stake which has open upper andlower ends. The nonengaging portions of the lower end of housing 15 formslots 15b to permit the egress of the earth engaging means from thehousing 15. The slots 15b in the housing 15 are preferably positionedopposite one another. The housing 15 may be fitted to the base plate 10in any conventional manner as desired as set forth relative the lowerend fitting 14. The upper open end of the housing 15 is closed by cap 16which has depending housing engaging flange 17 thereon and centralopening 18 therein. The cap'16 may be removably fixed to the housing 15by any conventional means as desired.

U-shaped channel piece is fixed to the top surface of plate and hasupwardly extending arms 19 and 20 and bottom plate 21, the latter fixedto the top of the base plate 10, preferably by welding as shown at 22,and having central opening 23 therein immediately above and of at leastas great a diameter as the threaded opening 11 in base plate 10. Thedistance between' the upwardly extending flanges 19 and 20 is slightlygreater than the width ofthe slots 15b in the housing 15. The openingbetween the upwardly extending flanges 19 and 20 is in line with theslots 15b. The width of the upwardly extendingfianges'19 and 20 is suchthat the edges thereof substantially abut the inner surface of thehousing 15.

Operating rod 24 preferably has threaded portion 24a atthe'upperend'thereof. Portion 24a of rod 24 extends through the opening18 in cap 16 and is engaged bythe threaded open lower end of graspingand'securing ring 25. The upper end of'the threaded portion of'ring 25is'closed to abut the top of the'rod 24. The threaded engaging lower endof ring 25 aids in rigidifying rod 24 against stresses not axially inline thereto. The opening 18 is preferably of a diameter only slightlygreater than the outer diameter of the lower portion of the ring 25. Thelower portion 26 of the rod 24 is of lesser diameter than the diameterof the remainder of the rod and is'threaded to the upper limit of thelesser diameter portion. The greater diameter portion 27 of the rodimmediately above the lesser diameter portion'is threaded to apredetermined height above the top of the lesser diameter portion andthe threads run in a direction opposite to the threads of the lowerportion 26 of the rod. The depth of the hollow'space in the hollow endfitting 14'n1ust be at least equal to the extension of the lesserdiameter portion 26 of the rod 24 below the base plate 10 whenthe rod 24extends as far into the base plate 10 as possible.

Engaged with the upper threaded portion 27 of the rod 24 is threadengaging means 28. Carrying arm flange piece 29 is fixedly attached tothe lower surface of thread engaging means 28 and is C-shaped in crosssection. Piece 29 has a central opening 30 in the upper surface thereofimmediately adjacent the engaging means 28 whereby to permit passage ofthe rod 24 therethrough. The engaging means 28 is attached to the upperclosed surface of piece 29 by conventional means such as welding, asshown at 31. The width of the top closed surface of the piece 29 is onlyslightly less than the distance between the inner faces of the upwardlyextending arms 19 and '20 whereby the outer surfaces of the downwardlyextending portions 29a of the flange piece 29 substantially abut the'innerfaces of the upwardly extetnding flanges 19 and 20. The lowerinwardly extending arms 32 of the carrying arm flange piece 29 are opencentrally and the peripheral edges of Ithe arms 32 are curved outwardlyand depended downwardly as at 32a to both match the curvature of theinside surface of the housing 15 and serve as a locking engagement forthe flukes. The side edges of the upwardly extending flanges 19 and 20maybe beveledas shown at 1911' and 20a to permit placing the flanges 19and 20 as close as possible adjacent the inner surface of housing 15.The width of the top flange and downwardly'extending arms 29a of thecarrying arm pieces 29 are preferably substantially that of the flanges19. and 20 and thus the widths of the edges of the carrying arms 32 aregreater than the widths of the other parts of the carrying piece 29 andthe flanges 19 and 20.

Fixed to the upper threaded portion 27 of rod 24 above operating nut '28are thread limiting means such as adjustable paired stop nuts 33 and 34.Nuts 33 and 34 limit the motion of the operating nut 28 upwardly on rod24 while the lower limit of the enlarged portion 27 serves 4 to limitthe downward motion of thread engaging means 28 in a manner to bedescribed. While the threads 27 could be stopped at the desired level,the employment of stop nuts 33 and 34 permit precise fixable adjustmentof the desired upper thread limit.

Anchoring flukes 35 (best seen in Fig. 6) preferably have beveled outeredge 36 to best penetrate the ground, are suitably curved in crosssection, and have inwardly formed portions 37 adjacent the top edgethereof whereby to form a top shoulder portion 38 operable to slide intothe gap between 'the'topflange of the carrying piece 29 and the lowercarrying arms 32 thereof. The lower surface of the shoulder portion 38engages the upper surface of the carryin'g'arrns 32 'whilethe portions32a overlie and retain the main body of the fluke. Shoulder portion 38is preferably curved in top section to a curvature substantially that ofthe inner surface of the housing 15 whereby when thefiukes 35'are fullyretracted as in Fig. 2, or'fully extended as in Fig. 1, the end edges ofthe shoulder portion 38 will'not'frictionally abut the inside surface ofthe housing '15. The side cross-sectional curvature of the flukes 35must be regulated relative the length ofthe fiukesso that'the flukesthemselves may be substantially enclosed within the housing 15 as shownin Fig. 2 without bearing against the rod portion 27. The thickness ofthe flukes '35 is slightly less than the width of the slots 15b in thehousing 15.

The assembly of the device is as follows: with U- shaped piece 19 fixedto'the top of the base plate 10, the hollow -fittin'g'l4 may befixed tothe lower recess 13 on base 'plate'10. Rod 24 having operating nut 28with carrying piece 29 fixed thereto engaged thereon as well aslimitingnuts 33 and 34, may be threaded into opening 11 in base plate 10. Theflukes 35 may be engaged with the carrying arms 32. The housing 15 isthen fitted over the rod and engaged with its lower engaging portion 15athe upper base plate recess 12. Cap 16 may then be fitted on housing 15and the ring 25 threaded on the rod 24. The thread engaging means 28v ispreferably positioned midway between the lower end of the enlargedportion 27and the limiting 'nuts 33 and 34 when the lower portion 26 ofrod 24 is intermediately engaged with the opening 11 in the base plate10. This position permits equal movement of the operating nut 28upwardly and downwardly.

ln'o'p'erationywith the extruding and retracting means positioned as inFig. '2 with the flukes 35 completely retracted, the thread engagingmeans 28 is abutting the under surface of lower limiting nut 33 and thelower lesser diameter portion 26 of the rod 24 extends into the baseplate the least possible distance. The flukes 35 are essentiallycompletely retracted within the housing 15 with the lower ends of theflukes blocking the slots '15!) to prevent any earth or other materialentering the housing 15. The anchor stake is inserted by employing anauger or other digging means to furnish the proper sized hole to insertthe anchor stake therewithin. When the stake is inserted into a hole 39in the ground 40, as shown in Fig. 1, with the top portion of the stakeextending above the ground level 41, the rod 24 may be rotated by meansof the grasping ring 25. With the rod portions 26 and 27 threaded in thedirections shown in the figures, clockwise rotation of the rod (lookingdown on the top of the cap 16) will cause the lower lesser diameterportion 26 to move further into opening 11 in base plate 10 and passinto the hollow cavity of the lower end fitting 14. Thus, the rod 24itself moves downwardly within the housing 15 relative the base plate10. Since the upper portion 27 of the rod 24 above the lesser diameterportion 26 is oppositely threaded, the thread engaging means 28 and theattached carrying piece 29 will move downwardly additionally on the rod24 due to the fact that the upwardly extending flanges 19 and 20 preventrotation of I the plate and carrying piece 29.

Thus, the engaging means 28 and carrying piece 29 move downwardly,first, because the rod 24 is moving downwardly by virtue of theengagement of the lower portion 26 thereof with the threaded hole 11 inthe base plate and, second, because of the interaction of the nut 28with the oppositely threaded portion 27. The motion of the engagingmeans 28 and the carrying portion 29 is relative base plate 10 and thusthe flukes 35 are extruded through the openings 15b. The clockwiserotation of the rod 24 is limited eventually by the upper limit of thelower lesser diameter portion 26 engaging the top surface of the bottomplate 21. The length of the lesser diameter portion 26 of rod 24 shouldbe such that the flukes are completely extruded by the completeclockwise rotation of the rod. The anchor stake with the flukes extrudedis shown in Fig. 1. The engagement of the fiukes with the earth givegreatly increased stability and pull resistance to the anchor stake.

To remove the stake from the earth, the rod 24 is rotated in acounterclockwise direction. Such rotation of rod 24 causes the lowerlesser diameter portion 26 of the rod 24 to move upwardly out of thecavity of the hollow fitting 14 and through the opening 11 in the baseplate 10. Additionally, the rotation of the rod causes the threadengaging means 28 and attached carrying piece 29 to rise due to theflanges preventing any rotation of the nut and attached piece 29 withthe rod itself. Thus, the engaging means 28 and attached piece 29 riseupwardly due both to the upward movement of the rod and the interactionof the thread engaging means 28 with the threaded portion 27. As theengaging means 28 and carrying piece 29 rise, the flukes 35 recesswithin the housing 15 which, when the engaging means 28 abuts theundersurface of limiting nut 33, indicating complete retraction of theflukes, may be removed from the earth with little effort.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matterhereinabove set forth is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in .alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An anchor stake comprising a housing, a base plate fixed relative thelower end of said housing, an end fitting fixed relative the lower endof said housing and base plate, a cap closing the upper end of saidhousing, an operating rod disposed axially in said housing having alower portion thereof threaded in one direction and an upper portionthereof threaded in another direction, the upper end of the rodextending through an opening in said cap, the lower threaded portion ofthe rod engaging the base plate, thread engaging means mounted on theupper threaded portion of said rod, at least one pair of carrying armsattached to the thread engaging means and movable therewith, meanspreventing rotation of the thread engaging means within the casingrelative said base plate and casing whereby rotation of the operatingrod moves the thread engaging means vertically relative the base plate,at least one curved fluke engaged at one end with one pair of saidcarrying arms, and at least one opening in said casing opposite saidfluke to permit extrusion of the fluke laterally relative said casing.

2. An anchor stake as in claim 1 wherein said end fitting is hollow atleast in part to permit extension of the operating rod thereinto.

3. An anchor stake as in claim 1 wherein the lowermost portion of theoperating rod is threaded to engage the base plate.

4. An anchor stake as in claim 1 wherein the lowermost portion of therod is threaded to engage the base plate and the upper oppositelythreaded portion thereof begins immediately above the lower threadedportion.

5. An anchor stake as in claim 1 wherein the operating rod above thelower threaded portion is of greater diameter than the lower threadedportion to provide a limit to the rotation of the rod and the verticalmovement of the thread engaging means in one direction.

6. An anchor stake as in claim 1 wherein the upper limiting meanscomprises a thread block in the rod threads above the thread engagingmeans.

7. An anchor stake as in claim 1 wherein the means for preventingrotation of the thread engaging means comprises at least one plate fixedrelative the casing and abutting at least a portion of the threadengaging means and engaging arm assembly.

8. An anchor stake as in claim 1 wherein the means for preventingrotation of the thread engaging means comprises a pair of substantiallyparallel plates fixed relative the casing and abutting two sides of thethread engaging means engaging arm assembly.

9. An anchor stake as in claim 1 wherein the engaging arms comprise aconstruction C-shaped in cross section, the opening of the 0 receivingand engaging a portion of the fluke.

10. An anchor stake as in claim 1 wherein the engaging arms comprise aconstruction C-shaped in cross section, the opening of the C operable toengage at least a portion of the fluke, the fluke having a pair ofrecesses in the sides thereof adjacent one end thereof to engage theengaging arms.

11. An anchor stake as in claim 1 wherein the periphery of the carryingarms extends adjacent the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,474,458 Wilkison Nov. 20, 1923 1,658,043 Eaglesfield Feb. 7, 19281,796,147 Green et al Mar. 10, 1947 2,431,608 Clapper Nov. 25, 19472,431,609 Clapper Nov. 25, 1947 2,490,465 Ogburn Dec. 6, 1949

